Canadian senate
OK's bill to legalize same-sex marriage

Canada's senate late Tuesday voted to adopt landmark legislation to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide despite fierce opposition from Conservatives and religious leaders. The bill could be signed into law as early as Wednesday. The bill grants same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something already legal in a majority of Canadian provinces. The legislation, drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party government, easily passed the senate, which essentially rubber-stamps any bill already passed by the House of Commons, which passed the legislation late last month. The bill becomes law when it is signed by Canada's Governor-General. Once that happens, Canada will become only the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, after the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain. The 47-21 senate vote came after years of court battles and debate that divided families, religious groups, and even political allies. Martin, a Roman Catholic, has said that despite anyone's personal beliefs, all Canadians should be granted the same rights to marriage. Churches have expressed concern that their clergy would be compelled to perform same-sex ceremonies. The legislation, however, states that the bill only covers civil unions, not religious ones, and no clergy would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies unless they choose to do so. The Roman Catholic Church, the predominant Christian denomination in Canada, has vigorously opposed the legislation, saying that it would harm children in particular. In the United States, Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex marriages; Vermont and Connecticut have approved same-sex civil unions. Though hundreds of foreigners have come to Canada to seek civil ceremonies since same-sex marriages were first allowed in Ontario and British Columbia in 2003, not all countries or states recognize the unions. The U.S. government does not recognize same-sex marriage, and most states refuse to acknowledge marriage certificates from gay and lesbian couples, regardless of where they wed. (AP)